Back in Strathaven. All evil villains and crooked craws beware.

Well, if you're a lithgo fan and I know you are theres only two things on your mind right now. No doubt you've heard the stories and have a couple of questions...
1) How big was that tree?
2) Is the beard really gone?

Perhaps you're not a fan but just a casual enthusiast, and therefore hadn't heard. Thus I shall explain.

The Tree.

Recently Ally G and me went off to Loch Lomond and the Trossachs in search of adventure. It was an altogether terrific day with a terrific chap, concluding with a terrific allyg style meal and terrific church @vineyard. T'riff. Lots of sausages with spinach along the way too. Lots of fences....

During the quest we came upon a tree, conservatively estimated to be the biggest tree in Scotland.
Now Ally G is quite a tall customer, and here he is jumping and stretching his full length. He's the speck next to the tree.

The Scale of the Tree

Ally, being the adventurous sort suggested that we climb this tree. Or more accurately, that I climb this tree. So I did.
I would genuinely like to thank God that I did not fall off.

Question 2 to be answered shortly.

I've been thinking these days about what it is to be a bit revolutionary.
Revolution to me means a change to a system which comes from outwith that system.

I want to explain this in a few sentences but that may mean it doesn't make much sense.

For instance, at church I don't particularly feel I fit in (principally because I'm gone 9 months of the year perhaps) to the social cliques I'm expected to fit into.
Here there are two voices:
1) "You can neither be a benefit to nor be benefited by these young people because they already have their own totally impenetratable clique."
2) "Its difficult therefore you can do it, should do it and have an amazing opporunity" This voice almost sees the opportunity over the opposition.

Perhaps a similar thing in ones home situation or place of work or learnin or whatever.

Or, alternatively, if I'm having trouble overcoming something in my spiritual life, or encouraging something good:
1) "You'll never get past this."
2) "You can't get past this on your own, you need God, pray and He'll show up. This is a gateway to intimacy and an opportunity for growth."

Commonly one might think that the 2nd voice is just Christian self-brainwashing. But actually I think its deprogramming. I've never beleived the devil whispers things in our ears but I do believe that we are conditioned by our environment. If we believe in another environment, namely the miraculous (God's intervention), and are dedicated to spiritual growth which is the growth of the miraculous in us and through us....then there should be no fundamental need to listen to the voice of our environment. There could arguably be harm in listening to such a voice.

For me the 2nd voice is very quiet. But I am now at last convinced it is right.

Not to sound too extreme but the earlier chapters in 1Corinthians talk about sound doctrine having power behind it. I believe that if I listen to the 2nd voice then I will grow, and yes, I believe the 2nd voice has great miraculous power. Particularly pertinent to the most exciting interpretation of spiritual growth.
I reckon I'm not at a spiritual high but I have a choice whether or not I recognise that. I am almost given the choice that I can stay exactly how I am for an undisclosed amount of time or totally change my thinking. Its precisely this kind of talk - "change thinking", "voices" etc that usually I see as more secular than spiritual but actually* I believe there is powerful and mighty stuff behind it. Aye, really. And its hard for me to exlain that here but hey. If you're a Christian I could use your prayers.

I feel totally unready. Yet many things I'm doing on the outside are me finishin up, not preparing. I'm unready on the inside, for whatever revolution God wants to do there.

And I'm doing a flickr space thing.

*Thanks to in yer face for increasing my use of the word 'actually'